Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.. **********************************************************
1) Chef Carolyn Johnson of 80 Thoreau in Concord is presenting a special Striper menu, for one week only. From July 29 to August , you can order the special, four-course Striped Bass Menu for only $55. Chef Thoreau is very talented and fresh seafood is always a good choice so take advantage of this upcoming dinner.

Menu
--Striper Crudo (Summer truffle, hakurei, pickled chanterelle)
--Striper Minestrone (Lobster, haricot, basil)
--Pan Roasted Striper (Cabbage, coriander, poblano cream)
--Mascarpone Mousse (Peach, raspberry, ginger)
There will also be a whimsical Striper surprise from Pastry Chef Katie Hamilburg. Maybe Candied Striper? Striper Gelato?

2) On July 26, Brass Union Executive Chef Jonathan Kopacz will be the featured grill master at the third session of the 2015 Riverside BBQ Series hosted at the Harry Parker Boathouse (20 Nonantum Road, Brighton). Now in its fourth season, the Riverside BBQ Series pairs New England’s most creative chefs with inspired craft brewers and popular bands. Situated along the Charles River, the Riverside BBQ Series is a pop-up kitchen that has drawn the likes of James Beard award winners Barry Maiden and Jamie Bissonnette that comes complete with an intimate concert and a beer festival for one all-inclusive experience.

Chef Kopacz will dish out an array of bites including Brass Union’s signature TLT (smoked tofu, arugula, tomato, kewpie), Pork Cheeks (with tomatillo) and sweet treats from Gilly’s Throwback Snacks to complement the day’s featured brewers, all hailing from New England: Harpoon Brewery, Rising Tide Brewing, Notch Brewing, Narragansett Beer, Downeast Cider House, Cisco Brewers and Peak Organic Brewing. On the music side, Tweed River Music Festival will present acts such as Bow Thayer, Josh Buckley and JMC.

WHEN: Sunday, July 26, from 4-8pm
COST: $35 per person in advance; $40 per person day-of
HOW: Advance tickets are available via HoldMyTicket.com: http://holdmyticket.com/event/214726.
MORE INFO: Reserved for ages 21+ with proper ID. Patrons under 21 admitted when accompanied by a legal guardian. This is a rain or shine event.

3) On Tuesday, August 11, at 6:30pm, Legal Sea Foods in Park Square will host a wine dinner with Paumanok Vineyards. Founded in 1983, the 127-acre estate located in Long Island, New York, is owned and operated by the Massoud family. I've visited Paumanok a couple times and think they are one of the best wineries on Long Island. This should be an excellent wine dinner and I highly recommend you check it out.

Legal Sea Foods will team up with Paumanok’s Winemaker, Kareem Massoud, to host a four-plus-course dinner featuring cuisine paired with his selections from the Paumanok vine.

The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Curried Scallop Tartlets, Peach Relish
Coconut Shrimp, Garam Masala Orange Marmalade
Cochinita Pulled Pork, Plantains
Paumanok Semi Dry Riesling, North Fork, 2013
FIRST COURSE
Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut (haricot vert, feta & strawberry salad, Dijon-agave vinaigrette)
Paumanok Dry Rosé, North Fork, 2014
SECOND COURSE
Fish Stew (salsa verde, lobster tomalley crostini)
Paumanok Chenin Blanc, North Fork, 2014
THIRD COURSE
Pan-Seared Tuna Steak (salsa veracruzana, fragrant lime rice)
Paumanok Cabernet Franc, North Fork, 2013
DESSERT COURSE
Caramelized Peach Tart (honey mascarpone, candied almonds)
Paumanok Late Harvest Riesling, North Fork, 2012

COST: $75 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9397

4) Summer is in full swing and Terramia Ristorante is bringing Boston’s North End a $1 oyster special. Beginning Sunday, July 26,guests can enjoy an ever-changing selection of oysters at a fraction of the price. From 5pm-7pm, Sunday through Thursday, savor the flavors of New England’s best oysters, served alongside Terramia’s signature seafood, pasta and meat dishes.

Toast to the remaining summer months with selections from Terramia’s extensive wine list, from a glass of Sauvignon Blanc “Ballard Lane” ($9) to a bottle of 2013 Rose Castello Banfi “Centine” ($34). ,

For more information or to make a reservation, please call 617-523-3112.

Marcus Samuelsson: Yes, Chef

I have most often seen Chef Marcus Samuelsson in culinary competitions, either as a contestant or judge, on shows such as Chopped, The Next Iron Chef, Top Chef and more. I greatly enjoyed dining at one of his previous restaurants, Aquavit, in New York City. And recently, I had the opportunity to meet him in person and to hear him discuss his new book, Yes, Chef.

I received an invitation from KitchnTable to attend a small, private event they were sponsoring at 3 Scoops Cafe in Brighton. There would be a light lunch, a short presentation from Chef Samuelsson, and a brief Q&A period, after which he would sign copies of his book.

The "soul food fusion" lunch was created and prepared by Wheeler del Torro, and included: Watermelon salad with feta, Spicy vegan tacos, Collard greens, Mac & Cheese, and Chocolate covered ice cream bon bons. A very nice lunch, which was accompanied by Champagne and water.

Above is an approximately ten minute video of the majority of Chef Samuelsson's talk, and his topics range far and wide. Of course he discusses his new book, which is a memoir, but also discusses the profession of cooking, matters of race, community, the problems of inner cities, and much more. It took him about five years to write this book and it is a description of his journey through life, noting that a black man's journey is different. He stated that "getting to know yourself" is essential to becoming the chef you desire to be, and he feels he knows himself well. The tragedy of 9/11 struck Chef Sameulsson hard, causing him to make a deeper commitment to his craft as well as New York City. He also discussed how Harlem is representative of many inner cities, which often have difficulty in acquiring fresh produce year round.

One of the fascinating stories he related dealt with his Swedish grandparents, who had lived about 20 miles from each other, one by the sea and the other inland. Though many people might assume they both prepared a similar Swedish cuisine, that was far from the case. That short distance actually played a significant role in their usual diets. For the one on the coast, fresh fish was paramount and common, while the one inland rarely had fish, and had to work much more with vegetables and such, more of a diet of poverty. Sometimes small details can have a huge impact.

Chef Samuelsson was quite reflective and philosophical, as well as charismatic. Despite the time constraints, he still wanted to be able to answer many of our questions. He noted that he is not contemplating any future projects at this time, simply living in the immediate moment. After devoting all those years to his book, it is time now for a bit of relaxation, before moving onto something else. But he indicated that any potential future plans would most likely involve Harlem.

I now have a copy of his new book and plan to read it soon, to learn more of Chef Samuelsson's interesting journey through life. Check out the video, and maybe it will motivate you to purchase his book.

Getting Naked in Brighton

Does the Boston area need another chain restaurant which specializes in pizza?  There already are plenty of pizza places, from small independent stores to larger chains like Domino's and Pizza Hut.  Any new pizza chain would have to offer something special if it hoped to compete with all of the existing places. Does the new Naked Pizza provide something unique, which will enable them to successfully compete in the tough pizza market?

I, and a number of other food bloggers, were recently invited to visit the new Brighton location of Naked Pizza, the first in the Boston area. Another store is now also open in Brookline, with plans for several other locations in the works.  The Brighton location has its own free parking lot so it is very easy to stop by and pick up a pizza.  That is certainly an initial good point in the restaurant's favor.

Naked Pizza is a takeout and delivery place, not a sitdown location, and there are no current plans to add seating to the location.  Even if any seating is eventually added, it will very likely be very limited.  Naked Pizza is intended to compete with the major pizza chains, like Domino's and Pizza Hut, rather than the small independents.  They try to differentiate themselves from these chains by offering a healthier and more natural pizza.  Plus, obviously they want to offer top-notch service and be competitively priced.

The menu is relatively simple, consistently mainly of pizza.  They sell three sizes of pizza: 10 inch for $6.99, 12 inch for $7.99 and 14 inch for $8.99.  In general, those prices seem lower than the average price at the other pizza chains (barring any "special offers").  For example, Domino's generally sells their 14 inch pizza for $10.99, making the Naked Pizza $2 cheaper.  Naked Pizza also sells a Gluten Free pizza, only in the 12 inch size for $9.99.  Besides their regular crust, you can also get a Skinny, thin crust, pizza.  

There are about 23 different toppings you can get for your pizza, including veggies, herbs, meats and cheeses.  Interestingly, the toppings for their pizzas all cost the same, dependent on the size of the pizza.  For a 10 inch, they cost $1.49 each, for a 12 inch, $1.69 each and for the 14 inch, $1.89 each.  This is considered necessary for their economies of scale, though it also means you might find some of the toppings to be unfairly priced compared to the others.

For example, should red onion or basil really cost the same as ham or sausage? I don't believe they should, especially when they cost the restaurant much differently. I would rather see a few different price levels for the toppings to make the prices more fair, such as grouping all the meats together under one price and having a different price for the veggie toppings.    

They also have about 9 "Favorites," which are their own special pizza combinations, selling the 10 inch for $12.99, 12 inch for $14.99 and 14 inch for $16.99.  You can try such combos as the Superbiotic (with artichoke, spinach, bell pepper, mushroom, garlic, onion and cilantro) or the Omnivore (with pepperoni, hamburger, ham, bell pepper, mushroom, and black olive).

Some of these Favorites are very good values, much cheaper than what you would get by adding your own ingredients.  For example, a 12 inch Superbiotic, with 7 toppings, costs $14.99 but if you had made your own 7 topping pizza, it would have cost $19.82. You thus save $4.81.  But, some of the Favorites actually cost more than if you had made your own. For example, the 12 inch Farmvil, with 4 toppings, costs $14.99 but if you had made your own 4 topping pizza, it would only have been $14.75.  So, it appears that Naked Pizza needs to work on the pricing of a few of these Favorites, maybe adding another topping or two to make the value better.

The menu also includes two non-pizza items: Mojomega breadstixx ($5.99) and Spinach Salad ($5.99).

I spent some time speaking with Peter Biro, the co-founder and CEO of Third Slice, the New England Developers for Naked Pizza.  He is also a co-founder and partner in Massachusetts Burger Enterprises, LLC, one of the nation's largest franchisees of Five Guys Burgers and Fries (which will be opening a location in Stoneham in a few months).  Peter possessed a passionate spark and I could discern that he truly believed in his product.  He freely answered all of my questions, and I did not feel like he was trying to conceal anything.  Just upfront honesty.   

We discussed the nature of the ingredients used for their pizzas, how their goal is to use only as natural ingredients as possible, though still dealing with issues of price.  As I have mentioned numerous times before, natural and organic ingredients can often be more expensive, so Naked Pizza tries to find a fine balance, keeping their prices reasonable but also offering a superior, natural product.  Based on everything I viewed, I think they are doing a good job in that regard. 
 
It is also important to Peter that Naked Pizza treats its employees well, such as paying them a fair wage and providing good benefits.  In addition, Peter wants to give back to the community. He wants to be a responsible employer, as well as a responsible member of the community. 

Their pizza dough contains about ten ancestral grains and seeds, including amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, oats, quinoa, spelt, tapioca, teff, and two kinds of wheat. The pizza also includes prebiotics and probiotics, which are supposed to contribute to better health.  The tomato sauce is simple, made from only tomatoes, water and herbs, and the cheese is a skim-milk mozzarella. You won't find in their pizzas any additives, preservatives, colorants, added sugar or other strange chemicals.  All of the toppings are supposed to be natural as well.  For example, their pepperoni contains paprika rather than nitrates for coloring.

All of this does make Naked Pizza more unique from the major pizza chains. Some of these matters are clearly better for you, the more natural ingredients and the avoidance of added chemicals.  Some of the matters are more questionable, unless you conduct more research of the issues, such as the effects of prebiotics.  The average consumer won't understand the nature of prebiotics but if you check out the Naked Pizza blog, they provide much more information about these health issues.  It is also important to note that the Gluten Free pizzas have their own prep areas so there is no possible contamination.

It takes about 3 1/2 minutes to prepare the pizza before it enters the oven.  Their special oven can reach temperatures of 1100 degrees, and the conveyor system allows the heat to work evenly on both the top and bottom of the pizza. It only takes three minutes to cook a pizza in this oven, so it takes less than 7 minutes total to make any pizza. Thus, they can provide quick service for you.

But, at its most basic, it is the taste of the pizza which will ultimately make or break Naked Pizza.  It does not matter how natural or healthy the pizza, unless it also tastes good then it will fail.  I had some initial trepidation about the pizza, because there are numerous multi-grain products which don't appeal to me.  They have too much of a grainy taste, tasting more like horse feed than something people should be eating.

I began with the Farmvil, one of their Favorites which contains pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, and ham (Canadian bacon).  There was a good portion of toppings and plenty of cheese. The crust was crisp and crunchy, with a mild grainy taste which was pleasing rather than off-putting. It certainly was not like horsefeed, and gave the crust a more unique taste as compared to pizza crust from the other large chains.  Overall, it was a very tasty pizza, one which should appeal to most pizza lovers. Pizza is one of my favorite comfort foods, and Naked Pizza makes one which satisfies my palate.

The Smokehouse, another Favorite, has hickory-smoked BBQ sauce, onion, and chicken and we got it with the Skinny crust.  This too was quite delicious, with a nice tasting BBQ sauce and a thin, crisper crust. I liked both crusts equally, and I guess which one I chose would depend on my mood. 
 

The Mojomega Breadstixx ($5.99) use the pizza dough, topped with mozzarella, cheddar and basil.  As I enjoyed the pizza, these were easy to like too. Plenty of cheese, tasty dough, and they were not greasy.   

Overall, Naked Pizza offers a compelling, delicious and natural pizza, and it should be very competitive with the other large, pizza chains. So I do recommend you try their pizza. My only concern is with some of their pricing which I think needs some fine tuning. First, they need to adjust some of the prices of their Favorites, those which are over priced for the number of ingredients.  Second, they should not charge the same price for all of their ingredients, as that type of pricing overcharges for some ingredients as compared to others. For example, it should be relatively easy to provide 3 different price levels for the ingredients. 

Have you eaten at Naked Pizza?  What were your thoughts?